Certificate I in Aviation now available for Western Sydney school kids as young as 14

Western Sydney schoolkids will be first off the blocks to fill hundreds of jobs at the new airport, under an aviation qualification now available to students as young as 14.

Western Sydney schoolkids will be first off the blocks to fill more than a thousand jobs at the new airport being built in their backyard, thanks to an aviation qualification now available to students as young as 14.

For the first time, students in Years 9 and 10 are undertaking a Certificate I in Aviation alongside their regular studies, building up foundational skills in the aviation industry including safety and security procedures, baggage handling and radio operations.

Taught by TAFE NSW teachers at Seven Hills High School’s Vocational Innovation Centre from today (Friday), the initial intake comprises 15 students from eight western Sydney public schools including Riverstone High School, Quakers Hill High, and Chifley College’s Dunheved and Shalvey campuses.

A Certificate I will be considered the “base” qualification for any employee working to service the under-construction Western Sydney International Airport, Seven Hills relieving principal Andrew Kerr explained, but eager students will be able to advance their skills during Year 11 and 12 with further study.

Those students will be able to specialise in cargo examination, airport screening, cabin operations and ground operations as part of their HSC, giving graduates a foot in the door to work as ground crew, flight attendants and ramp operators, among other roles.

Year 10 students Macey Howarth, Alessandra Dimaandal and Abigail Robertson are from three western Sydney high schools and will be the guinea pigs for school-based training in aviation. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Mr Kerr said the new course – and others already on offer at the Seven Hills VIC – will go a long way to addressing existing skills shortages and meeting the region’s future needs, while giving students a chance to develop the soft skills that will improve their employability.

“The best thing kids can have is the opportunity to make educated or informed decisions about what they what they want to do, so the more experiences you give them … the better their idea of what they can do in the future is,” he said.

WSI Airport CEO Simon Hickey at The Daily Telegraph’s Future Western Sydney summit. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

By 2031 Western Sydney International is expected to employ almost 10,000 people, either directly or indirectly, in the aviation sector alone.

Jetstar’s Chief Operating Officer Matt Franzi said industry-specific pathways like the Cert I “play an important role” in ensuring the talent pipeline needed to support growth at the Western Sydney airport - where Jetstar, QantasLink and Qantas Freight will be first airline group to set up shop - and beyond.

Existing agreements with Qantas, and ground handling and in-flight catering company Dnata. will create 700 and 200 jobs respectively.

The airport has a baseline target for 30 per cent of those roles to be filled by Western Sydneysiders. CEO Simon Hickey hopes the high rate of local employment across a broad range of careers will be one of the airport’s greatest legacies.

“We’ve worked closely with schools, TAFE NSW, Western Sydney University and other institutions since construction began,” he said.

The aviation course will give students like Macey (left), who wants to be a flight attendant, a foot in the door for jobs at the soon-to-be-opened Western Sydney airport. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Meaningful, diverse, high-paying jobs close to people’s homes and families – that’s truly the ‘secret sauce’ of this airport and the surrounding Bradfield City and broader Aerotropolis that will change the face of this city forever.”

Skills and TAFE Minister Steve Whan said offering the Certificate I in Aviation to school students reflects his government’s “commitment to training our next generation of workers”.

“The airport will be a game changer for our state and it’s great to see the partnership between TAFE NSW, our public high schools and local industry delivering hands-on training,” he said.

Year 10 students Macey Howarth, Alessandra Dimaandal and Abigail Robertson are among the guinea pigs for the new course, and all three are excited to gain some new skills outside the classroom.

“I’ve always wanted to become a flight attendant, since I was about seven years old,” Macey from Quakers Hill High School said.

“I just really love travelling (and) meeting new people, and I really wanted to do this course to learn more about it.”

Originally published as Certificate I in Aviation now available for Western Sydney school kids as young as 14